The sound of the door closing left the room in silence once more.
Before long, only Theodore and Odely remained in the study.
“Are you injured anywhere, Lady Odely?”
“I’m fine.”
It was the first time she had used her newly acquired ability in actual combat, so she did feel a little dizzy.
But enduring pain was nothing new to her.
So Odely chose not to mention it.
Theodore studied her for a moment before lowering his head.
“To think a man like him served this castle for ten years… As the one responsible, I am deeply ashamed.”
Letting out a quiet sigh, Theodore bowed even lower.
“This happened because of my negligence. I sincerely apologize for the harm and distress you have suffered, Lady Odely. I will willingly accept whatever punishment you deem appropriate.”
In truth, he had probably suspected for some time that there was a rat stealing from the castle stores.
But the warehouse had been managed by several servants taking turns, and Zeke had stolen so little at a time, so carefully, that it had been nearly impossible to identify him.
Besides, whenever the inventory didn’t match, he manipulated the records to make it look like another servant’s mistake.
Small suspicions had accumulated over the years, but there had never been any decisive evidence.
And Theodore was too soft-hearted.
He likely hadn’t wanted to suspect someone who had served the castle for ten years.
Understanding his circumstances…
Instead of reprimanding him, Odely quietly held out the silver ornament box she had been carrying.
The very item Zeke had tried to steal.
Had Ludvil’s vault not lost its seal, it would have been the only thing in the annex that could truly be called a valuable treasure.
Odely knew exactly who would be hurt the most if it disappeared.
That was why she had secured it beforehand.
“This is important to you, isn’t it?”
Theodore froze, drawing in a sharp breath.
“How did you…?”
“Zeke was trying to steal it. It looked valuable, so I thought perhaps you’d know what it was.”
With trembling hands, Theodore carefully accepted the ornament box from her.
Odely knew exactly what it was.
She also knew why it had been tucked away inside an old drawer in the annex instead of being stored in the Grand Duke’s treasury.
It was the very first reward the Emperor had ever given Ludvil.
Back then, the slave known only as “Lu” wandered the battlefield without a name or a title.
Then one day, his military achievements finally caught the Emperor’s attention, and he was awarded an ornament box adorned with silver luminite.
But Lu had felt nothing.
Though he appeared to be nothing more than a nineteen-year-old young man, inside him lived a regressor who had repeated thousands of lifetimes.
The Emperor.
The Empire.
The reward.
To him, they were nothing more than scenery.
Things that had been repeated countless times…
And erased just as many.
On the very day he received that ornament box, Lu caught the eye of Grand Duke Exepsion.
That had been his objective from the very beginning.
He had appeared at the Imperial Palace specifically to attract the Grand Duke’s attention, and even the Emperor’s reward had merely been part of his plan.
Everything proceeded exactly as intended.
Lu acquired the false identity of the illegitimate son of House Elbrecht, a noble family that had fallen decades earlier.
Then he became the Grand Duke’s adopted son.
At that point, the ornament box had served its purpose.
“Where shall I store this?”
When Theodore asked…
Ludvil, now the Grand Duke’s heir, answered calmly.
“Throw it away.”
“Pardon? But it was bestowed upon you by His Majesty… And there’s even a precious healing stone inside.”
“A healing stone… Was there? It’s useless to me. You can have it.”
With those dry words, he walked away without another glance.
The Emperor’s gift had been discarded like trash.
Because of that, the healing stone ended up in Theodore’s possession.
And that…
Saved his life.
A monster attacked his carriage, overturning it.
Theodore suffered fatal injuries, but thanks to that healing stone, he returned alive from death’s doorstep.
At that moment, the one he remembered wasn’t the Emperor.
Nor the gods.
It was Ludvil’s indifferent back as he walked away after saying only one word—
“Take it.”
Theodore had devoted his entire life to serving House Exepsion.
For the first time, he wanted to dedicate his loyalty not to a family…
But to a person.
Not out of duty.
But out of gratitude.
To the man who had saved his life.
That box marked the beginning of those feelings.
Theodore never threw it away.
Instead, he hid it somewhere no one would ever touch.
Somewhere no one would ever remember.
Inside an old drawer in the annex that had long since become little more than a storage building.
He sealed it away quietly.
Without reporting it.
Without telling anyone.
Over the years, he watched Ludvil gradually change.
As his lord.
As a commander.
As the Grand Duke.
And throughout it all, Theodore remained by his side.
At the beginning of everything…
There had been that ornament box.
That was why, in the previous timeline, on the day it was stolen, Theodore spent the entire day sitting silently by the study window.
Without saying a single word.
In my last life… he never got it back.
Although Zeke was eventually caught, by then he had already pried off every gemstone and ornament decorating the box and sold them.
Theodore stared at the ornament box for a long moment before lowering his head, hiding the emotions flickering in his eyes.
After steadying himself, he spoke in a voice rough with emotion.
“…Thank you for protecting it, Lady Odely.”
Those words were more than simple gratitude.
They carried the weight of loyalty that had endured for many years.
Before the trembling in the hands holding the ornament box had even subsided, Theodore straightened his posture and respectfully asked,
“…Lady Odely, are you perhaps suffering from severe exhaustion?”
“Hm?”
Caught off guard by the sudden question, she blinked in confusion.
***
Starting that afternoon, an unusual bustle filled Odely’s room.
Leona came and went constantly, carrying herbal tea and warm towels for compresses.
Theodore personally sent messengers to both the apothecary and the tailor.
“Please drink it before it gets cold. Your hands are getting chilly again.”
Leona slid the teacup toward her, scolding gently.
Warm steam, carrying the faint scent of Wembella root, softly filled the room.
Odely quietly picked up the cup and took a sip.
“They said it’s quite potent, so your head might feel a little fuzzy at first. But if you keep drinking it, warmth will return to your hands and feet, and you’ll sleep much better.”
Even while explaining, Leona never stopped watching Odely’s complexion.
Her narrowed eyes were full of suspicion.
“Ever since you sent me away, Lady Odely, I feel like you’ve looked even paler. Am I imagining things?”
“…When did I ever send you away?”
“You did. Then you went and took down a thief all by yourself. And now you’re as pale as a sheet.”
“……”
Odely had no response.
Even so, she couldn’t stop herself from trying to defend herself.
“I didn’t exactly take him down.”
“Is that really the important part?!”
“And my skin has always been pale.”
Crossing her arms, Leona declared firmly, clearly unconvinced.
“This won’t do. I don’t care what you say—starting today, I’m not leaving your side for even a moment.”
Just then—
Knock, knock.
As if on cue, someone knocked on the door.
“Lady Odely, excuse me.”
It was Theodore’s calm, steady voice.
Leona immediately tattled on her.
“Butler Theodore, please come in! Lady Odely keeps insisting she’s perfectly fine!”
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